


To Let it Go

by Williamsaysgayrights



Category: Campaign (Podcast)
Genre: Angst, Gen, magic rituals to save people that result in loss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 04:35:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29961027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Williamsaysgayrights/pseuds/Williamsaysgayrights
Summary: Day 3 - burza nyth / family / missed opportunitiesJonnit completes the ritual in Burza Nyth
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4
Collections: Jonnit Week 2021





	To Let it Go

**Author's Note:**

> Day 3! Time for more angst
> 
> This fic also got way longer than it should have been but you know what? Jonnit rights

Jonnit sits atop the ferris wheel, humming a calming rhythm as he focuses on ignoring the sounds of the water. It demands his attention, crashing against the walls and growing impatient with his lack of answer. The rhythm continues, Jonnit humming under his breath as he begins to prepare the ritual. The noise rises and falls with the waves, cutting them out as he begins to meditate, his anxiety fading.

He’s nervous, the spooky butlers doing nothing to calm his nerves when they spoke to him, alone with nothing but his thoughts and his eye opening to show the water in the hourglass. The water flows, the blue changing to match the sky as Jonnit breathes and rising to mark the beginning of the ritual. 

He continues, thinking about the city behind him - Burza Nyth’s protection relies on him, and keeping himself calm is the only thing between the lives of so many people and the Mariner, closer than anyone could have expected. Anxiety spikes again, his humming breaking rhythm for a second as the waves strengthen their beat against the walls of the city. He forces himself back into the meditation, quickly finding it isn’t working, the ritual will  _ fail _ —

Traveller Kwan’s magic weaves around Jonnit, her belief and trust in him obvious. A watery vision of her appears on the other side of the hourglass, her presence and belief calming him enough to make him pick up the rhythm again. The ritual continues on, Jonnit’s future self rising from the sky blue water at the top of the hourglass to push back the Mariner as he continues protecting Burza Nyth. 

It’s working, summoned maelstroms holding a protective barrier around the city, when the Mariner begins to fight back even harder. Jonnit’s fear comes back, his future self wavering as he panics. The power of the ritual fades slightly and Traveller Kwan’s vision stares at him, unable to hide her fear of the Mariner’s coming attack. Nothing can save them from this - if they fail, everything is over for Burza Nyth.

_ No, _ Jonnit thinks, facing the sea and letting himself breathe again.  _ I’m not losing anyone to you.  _

He settles into his memories, letting the times he’s spent with Gable and Travis wash over him as his eyes close, his third eye kept open to see the vectors of the universe and the possible futures of this moment. He sees Travis guiding him through a sword fight, Gable showing him how to feed the birds, and his heart aches as he sees one of Dref stitching a wound, sending him out of his office with a smile. 

He’s taken further back, home in Akaron sitting down to eat with his father and Zana, everyone laughing as he jokes. Suddenly, all he wants is to go  _ home _ , give up his future and go back to the family that  _ misses _ him. 

A figure sits down - it’s Hip, sitting like he’s been there for hours and immediately joining the conversation. With a start, Jonnit realises that he’s seeing a vision, one of home shown to him by his eye as it happens in real time. Hip speaks, the words unintelligible, and his father winces as he casts a sad glance over to the seat where Jonnit is sat. 

His stomach drops as he realises this is  _ real _ . While he’s saving Burza Nyth, becoming the person he sees in his destiny, his family is sitting down to eat, unsure that he’s safe and worrying about him. He looks over the people sitting at the table, wishing more than anything that he was there. He casts his eyes over Zana, noticing that she looks  _ older _ and  _ fuck _ , it’s been months since he’s been home.

His eye shows him a vision of him and Zana, running though the first and laughing as they trip over tree roots, and he realises it’s showing him what he could have if he hadn’t left. The ache of that pulls him away from the memory, and he looks over his father, who looks like worry is eating him alive. Another vision of Jonnit appears, and he realises that his father is hugging him. In his real body, he tears up as he realises he hasn’t been hugged by his father for months, trying to wrap his arms around the vision before it can fade. 

He can’t manage before he’s back at the table, and he blinks away tears that don’t exist as he looks over at Hip, smiling as he interacts with Jonnit’s family. 

He’s lounging back in his chair with a grin on his face as he tells Zana a story, making everyone laugh. Jonnit would too if he could hear it, but it’s meaningless to hope. He sees a vision of Hip from the eye, and grins - he’s coming off a skyship back home and sees Hip grinning at him from the crowd, waving and cheering. Jonnit runs to him, almost knocking him over with a hug as he laughs. Hip pulls back to begin speaking, and Jonnit suddenly realises he can’t hear the words, muffled static coming from him. 

He steps back in the vision, fear overwhelming him as his power surges to push back the Mariner once again. The man in his vision smiles at him and nods. Jonnit doesn’t remember his name, doesn’t remember  _ anything _ about him, the only knowledge of this man in front of him the single tear he feels fall from his eye. He can’t have this back, he will  _ never  _ remember the name of the man who taught him to heed the sky’s call, and he doesn’t know why that hurts. 

The visions fade as Jonnit comes back to himself, feeling Traveller Kwan’s fear and realising that his visions happened over  _ seconds _ , instead of the hours it felt like. He feels power build up inside of him, using it to channel his magic into protecting Burza Nyth and restoring the barrier. This time, it works for a reason he doesn’t remember, and he sighs in relief. The Jonnit of the future looks to him and winks before turning to Traveller Kwan, saying words he doesn't hear before a vision of ships across the sky and sea comes rushing forwards as his eye closes.

But it’s over - he did it. He doesn’t even think he lost anything. 

——

Years later, Captain Jonnit steps out into Akaron, looking over the crowd in front of his ship. He doesn't realise he’s searching for someone he doesn’t remember, but a part of him knows there’s someone missing - something he can never have again.

He doesn’t remember that it hurts. 


End file.
